


You Crawled Under My Skin (Please Don't Leave)

by Christian_at_No



Category: Bleach
Genre: Banter, Canon Compliant, Domestic, Dysfunctional Family, Emotions, Family Bonding, Family Dynamics, Family Feels, Feels, Found Family, Gen, Happy Ending, I think that applies here, Minor Character Death, Minor Violence, OC-centric, SO IT WORKS, Sarcasm, Slice of Life, Slight OOC, and it lasts for all of two seconds, attitude, but it's all first person, but it's not graphic, gender ambiguous narrartor, how much sarcasm is too much sarcasm?, no betas we die like men, pronouns aren't even used to address them in the story, rating is for language more than anything, some more than others, the opening mentions guts tho so be careful, there's not even blood
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-22
Updated: 2021-01-22
Packaged: 2021-03-13 16:48:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,386
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28906620
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Christian_at_No/pseuds/Christian_at_No
Summary: "Alright.""I knew you loved me!"Kisuke was met with my glare. "If the child were not present, you would be dead."The Bleach storyline, told from a different perspective through key interactions behind the scenes of the manga.Leon, Ex-Espada, joins forces with Urahara Kisuke out of convenience and, in addition to helping the madman hatch some of his more complex visions, the hollow discovers something they didn't know they needed: a family.
Kudos: 7





	You Crawled Under My Skin (Please Don't Leave)

**Author's Note:**

> I revisited the Bleach manga recently and just kinda projectile-vomitted this into existence. I tried really hard to add in Leon while keeping it as close to the manga as I could, utilizing the breaks in the narrative and some plot holes to blend in some of Leon's lore. So, in short, this is the manga, but told from my OC's point of view.
> 
> I really appreciate you giving this a shot. I've been dying to flesh out this character for the longest time!
> 
> Enjoy.
> 
> -Chris
> 
> P.S.
> 
> For those of you who are subscribed to Otherworld, I'm officially picking it back up again. I'm gonna read through it this weekend, make any necessary edits, and (hopefully) finish fleshing out those last couple chapters for you so that you can have a finished fic and we can all move on with our lives... Thank you for being patient with me.

**_I_ **

My guts, I'd decided, did not look good strewn about the white sands of Hueco Mundo, and the blood of my fracciones looked even more gruesome.

Dante, Luis, Bella… They were all torn asunder by his hand.

_Come back and kill me._

I stared up at the perpetual darkness stretched above me, jaw clenched tighter than the grip on my sword.

_Dammit…_

I should've known.

_Dammit._

After Nelliel and her lackies dropped off the face of Las Noches, I should've known. I was the next in line for her spot. Nnoitra… I should've been on guard.

_Fucking dammit!_

I let out a frustrated shriek, beak wide in anguish.

I couldn't even move to cover their corpses.

Another shriek ripped through me, a rip through the fabric of the world opening in the sands to swallow me. I was running away. I knew it, and the shame hurt more than being turned inside out.

**_II_ **

I woke to pain. Not the sharp ache of battle, but the dull agony of a survivor.

"Ah, you're awake!"

My body tensed, ready to flee, only to be dashed by the burning in my abdomen. I heaved, my torso spasmed long after the initial motion, and the cycle repeated itself.

A man swept into the room, intimidating in his stature, and was followed quickly by a smaller male figure.

The smaller man sounded concerned when he spoke, his tone rushed, "Woah! You'll reopen your wounds!"

His voice was chipper and grated on my ears. I was so accustomed to the calm silence of my…

My jaw clenched. I had bitten my tongue amidst my thrashing and could taste the metallic tang of blood.

The larger man kneeled over me and held fast to my shoulders. "You are among allies, we will not harm you."

I tried to peck him in retaliation.

The chipper one spoke again, "Settle, or I'll sedate you."

I froze. My eyes narrowed, locked in on his face now, shadowed by a gaudy hat.

"…Unhand me." My voice was uncharacteristically breathy. Exhaustion had caught up to me at last.

Hat Man looked amused. "Out of the question, I'm afraid." Then, as though sensing the upcoming rebuttal, "Not until you can play nice."

I let out a shriek. It wasn't my loudest, but it did get Big Man to loosen his grip enough for me to roll to my feet. My efforts were met with burning, and I had to slump against the wall. All too quickly, I'd been made to feel like a caged animal. And what's worse, It was my own doing.

Hat Man threw his hands up, face grave. "We mean you no harm, Hollow," he insisted.

His companion was quick to follow with his own placating gesture of surrender. "We found you wounded. We meant you no harm."

"Who are you people?" I huffed. "Shinigami?"

Hat Man hid a sneer. "No. Just shop keeps. Nothing more."

"Ha!" The simple sound came out bitter. "With that much spiritual pressure? Unlikely." My eyes swept over them, landing on Hat Man again. "If it looks like a duck, and sounds like a duck… Well, I'm sure you know."

"Indeed." Hat Man acknowledged. "I take it you've met other shinigami, then?"

I had to resist the urge to spit. "Only three." My eyes went steely and I wished I could run them both through with my glare alone. "Five, counting you. Five too many, I assure you."

"Three?" Hat Man's eyes narrowed incredulously, like he was trying to solve some hidden equation. "Do you know their names?"

"Uh-uh, Hat Man," I spat as I tried to fend off a dizzy spell. "You get no more from me without telling me who the hell you are and why you brought me here. No sane man with your level of power acts _selflessly_." Accusation bled from my voice until it dripped over the floor, "What do you want from me?"

Hat Man looked minorly impressed and thoroughly unconcerned. "I'm Urahara Kisuke." He motioned to Big Man. "And this is my associate, Tsukabishi Tessai."

"Just Tessai, please," the man corrected, fixing his glasses.

"I'm sure you'll realize it eventually, but we do have three others here. You'll meet them once you've fully recovered, should you wish," Urahara added. "And as far as what I want, that's simple…" He smiled in such a sickly sweet way, it made me feel uneasy.

Quite the feat, considering the lot I'd been fighting for.

"I want information on Aizen Sousuke."

I drew a blank for a moment. Then, "Is that all?"

"To start, yes."

I touched my forehead in an effort to shield what remained of my face as my shoulders shook with silent laughter. _"That bastard_ …" I sighed, sunk to the floor, and situated myself to be as comfortable as possible given my present state. "I have nothing left to lose in that respect, so you're in luck."

"Considering the fuss you caused earlier, you're rather agreeable all of a sudden," Urahara noted.

"I want someone dead," I announced with as much finality as I could muster. "If you want to go after Aizen, I figure that my mark will eventually get his due, no?"

He smirked, posture relaxing. "Then we seem to be in agreement, Hollow."

"My name is Leon Vuelo," I offered. "Do remember it…"

**_III_ **

"You want to open a garganta?"

Urahara looked entirely sober when he confirmed his intentions. "If we want to make it into Hueco Mundo without having to rely on Soul Society, then it's our only option."

Days had since bled from weeks to months. My power was slowly returning, hindered by the lack of ambient reishi and readily available hollows in the living world. The fight against the clock still waged. Aizen was still a threat, and Hat Man had decided that sending _literal children_ into the fray was the best course of action. My stress levels had piqued.

I sighed. "Kisuke. I'm still not strong enough to open a garganta. I can't help you."

He brightened immediately at the news. "Ah! But I never said _you_ had to be the one to open it, now did I?" he began. "Leo, my friend, I just need your brain!"

I could feel the lip of my gigai curl.

The body Kisuke had made me was a strange one. It felt heavy and dulled my senses, but it came with the added benefit of hiding my presence from the influx of shinigami that had been patrolling this gods-forsaken city as of late. But opening a garganta? Literal tears in the fabric of the world wouldn't go unnoticed.

"You need my _what_?"

"Your brain!" he reiterated while he gesticulated with his hands, as he was prone to do without his fan to fiddle with. "Not literally, of course. I just need you to explain to me how it works with as much detail as possible."

I glanced at Ururu for guidance, but she had made the executive decision that painting my nails was more important. I sighed.

"Alright."

"I knew you loved me!"

Kisuke was met with my glare. "If the child were not present, you would be dead."

Though we both knew that he could beat me single-handedly many times over before breaking a sweat, he still humored me with a faked shiver of fear. Ururu stroked my wrist approvingly when I still didn't deny his claim.

**_IV_ **

I stood, slack jawed. "You have lost your mind," I marveled. "The likelihood of this being accomplished is near-zero!"

"But not zero," he countered, painfully optimistic in the face of yet another impossible feat.

"You… You. Are… I don't know what yet, but it's definitely some form of _mad_."

Yoruichi chuckled at my expense. "Have faith, Leon."

"In what? That he can just _move_ all of Karakura? Without anyone noticing?"

"Hopefully so," Kisuke chimed, running scenarios. "They'll all be asleep."

"By the gods…"

"Oh!" As though he'd had a sudden epiphany, he jolted in his seat, eyes bright with mischief.

His gaze found my face and my guts twisted in apprehension. I once again felt the growing familiarity of a scowl, my lip curled in reluctance. "What do you want from me now, Hat Man?"

"Oh, it's nothing life-threatening, I assure you! Just a small favor, if you would be so inclined…" he trailed off as he moved to block the curve of a sly grin with his hand. It certainly sounded more like a demand than the 'favor' he was trying to disguise it as. "I merely need you to help Yoruichi test an experimental combat armor I've been developing."

"And help you move _the entirety of Karakura Town_ , yes?" I added for clarity, voice dredged in the sickly sweet flavor of false kindness.

His sly gaze fell to something more sincere. "If you can. You give a unique perspective. Your insight will be most useful, and I would be the one in your debt, afterwards." The admonishment almost made me preen.

I sighed. "Alright… Since you did ask oh, _so_ nicely." I turned to face him, my gaze having dropped in the midst of his explanation. "I'm not sure how much help I'll be with your armor tests, though," I warned, brow ticked up in some semblance of concern; though, I wasn't sure how well the emotion translated. "As we all well know, I've been staying away from combat. Even sparring."

"No worries!" Yoruichi chirped from my side, hand on my shoulder before I could register the movement fully. "You're job's just to stand there and look pretty."

The amused edge in her tone did nothing to quell my sudden alarm.

At my visible confusion, Kisuke extended one of those proverbial olive branches, "This armor is designed to emulate hierro. Yours, specifically, seeing as I haven't had the pleasure of any in-depth examination of an Espada's _anatomy_ beyond you." He leered in my direction with a quick wink. All in jest, inappropriate as I'm sure it was…

"So, you want to test it against _my_ hierro." I nodded slowly. "My hierro functions like a muscle," I explained. "And much in the same way, it is actively working when it is 'flexed', so to speak… In my weakened state, I'm not able to hold it for as long nor keep it as sturdy as I would in prime condition. Regardless of the results of this performance test, I recommend doubling your armor's durability and hardness, if at all possible."

He arched a brow and moved to rest his head in his hand with a contemplative hum, "And, do tell… What brought you to this conclusion?"

I sucked my teeth. "As I said, my hierro is weak now. Damage done to me now would not be representative of actual combat against an Espada in pique condition. And trust me, they will be in pique condition." I reached over and touched the elbow Kisuke had braced on the table. "You've done a lot for me since I've arrived." My gaze flicked from Yoruichi, then to the stairs where I knew Tessai was taking time to himself, and back to Kisuke. "You all have. I would rather you be ready for the worst if it gives you all a better chance of coming back in one piece, than to have you limp into your graves because you were caught unawares."

Yoruichi's brow was pinched in what I was sure was sympathy. Kisuke just looked alarmed over my concern.

 _Maybe I shouldn't have said anything at all…?_ Humans were confusing.

"Was that not appropriate?" My voice dipped back into the cold, sarcastic drawl I was used to, whatever warmth that had been there moments ago stomped back into place.

Yoruichi cracked a grin and pulled me into a one-armed hug. "It was definitely appropriate, Leo. I appreciate you caring enough to worry."

My mouth twitched. "Prove to me that I don't have to."

**_V_ **

Of all the things I had anticipated, this child tearing into Aizen was not one of them.

_Kurosaki Ichigo…_

The name was a familiar one. I had overheard it spoken on many occasions as a result of living under the same roof as Urahara.

In the aftermath of Kisuke's final blow, I watched silently as the boy collapsed. A mass of human souls converged over him; his friends, I supposed. Hat Man doled out instructions in a steady voice, solemn and more serious than I had ever seen him, and only when the crowd had dispersed, carrying their fallen comrade with them, did I dare approach.

"Hello, Leon."

"Kisuke…" I stopped when he was within arm's reach. "I'm surprised."

He looked at me from the corner of his eye. "Oh?"

I hummed in affirmation, "For a child, he was strong." He looked like he wanted to protest, but I spoke again before he could form the words, "I know, he's not dead. A miraculous and fortunate happening, I'm sure."

Silence.

Then, "But, something tells me his power is depleted."

Kisuke had the gall to look guilty. "Yes."

I sniffed the air. It tasted different than that of Hueco Mundo. Even the reishi felt different as my false body absorbed it like a sponge and converted it into something I could use.

"That Kurosaki boy," I began when the quiet stretched on for too long, "is not all he seems to be."

"A grand observation." He met my gaze head-on. "Do tell, what gave it away?"

I felt my lip curl. I still wasn't accustomed to having them, even after all this time.

"Aizen's fear."

Urahara looked interested. "Fear?"

I turned my gaze to my own hands. "He has a fear of the unknown. If he had just been a shinigami, a hollow, or even a mere half-breed arrancar failure, he wouldn't have batted an eye."

Kisuke smiled wryly at me. "I forget how observant you actually are sometimes, Leon." He looked back, where the boy and his friends had disappeared. "We owe him so much…"

I felt the scowl as it formed, turned my face away to hide it; damn bare skin revealed too much.

"Then, repay him."

"…What?"

My steely gaze met his, fierce and determined. "If you're going to mope over handicapping a child, then find a way to _un_ -handicap him, you absolute fool! Now take me home, I'm exhausted from setting up those damn pillars."

The smile appeared in a slow, disbelieving creep that morphed the wetness in his eye into a hopeful shine. I'd never tell him, but I was happy he was a stubborn bastard.

**_VI_ **

My abdominal cavity ached, remnants of the wound acting up from the stiffness of the gigai more than anything else. As much as I would have loved to shrug out of it, I knew it was unsafe to do so. Decent food was scarce now thanks to the wanna-be-shinigami patrolling the area; that damn quincy boy in particular. If I was to catch a decent meal, I would need to foot it out of the area before I could even think of shedding my false skin. And even then, my reiatsu was still high enough for me to be considered a substantial threat; I had never been good at concealing myself, and my self preservation won out over the hunger I felt.

_Maybe the shop keep could procure me some food…_

He already had the quincy under his belt, slaying whatever bridged the gap between here and the great beyond, so maybe he could arrange for one measly hollow to be brought back in one piece under the guise of "further study." He did owe me, after all.

I heard Jinta before I saw him when I rounder the corner to get to Urahara's, acting a foul-mouthed fool again. He'd done himself up like a ruffian, surrounded by his gang of mini thugs. It was sad and almost cute; like a dog with no legs.

"Jinta!" I called, an added hint of a shriek hidden in my tone to make it warble ominously.

His head snapped around so fast, I thought he'd finally given himself whiplash. No luck, it looked like.

"What, damn bird brain!?"

 _Oh?_ So he wanted to act tough in front of his posse?

I growled, met him at eye level with a blank stare that promised death if he wasn't compliant, "Inside, now. I know for a fact that you haven't touched your notes and you have a test on Tuesday."

He cleared his throat as he edged away from me, a "tactical retreat" back inside. "R-right. Yeah. I'll… I'll go do that."

I flashed the other boys a look. "All of you. Go home and come back later."

There was a garbled mess of affirmatives echoed behind me as I followed the boy inside and closed the door.

"Ah, Leo! good!"

Ah, Kisuke.

"What cockamamie scheme have you devised now?" I asked, walking further into the shop until I entered the living space I tentatively called _home_.

"Ah, but this isn't _my_ scheme!" he chided with a grandiose wave of his arm over the cluttered floor.

He was drowning in graphs, charts, numbers, and blueprints. All of which, he would not clean up himself.

"It's yours!"

I raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

Kisuke gave me a fond look that I couldn't quite decide how to react to.

"Do you remember what you told me? About how to repay Kurosaki Ichigo?"

A lightbulb flickered on and simultaneously shattered in my mind's eye. "You… Did it?" I croaked. "You actually found away to get the boy's powers back?"

"Oh, don't sound so surprised!" Kisuke deflected, accompanied by an attempt to literally wave me off with his fan. "It's mostly your fault, anyway. The idea wouldn't have come to mind as soon had you not said anything back then."

I cast my gaze to the floor. "You don't think it's too late? It's been over a year now."

The reply came fast, but the words themselves were spoken with a slow purpose, "I can hope." He rummaged about in his pocket for a moment. "In the meantime, I have something for you," he announced, presenting a silver bangle.

I reached for it hesitantly. "What's this?"

"A gift to repay a debt of gratitude." He smiled. "A reiatsu suppressor."

My eyes went wide. "I beg your pardon?"

"Do curb your enthusiasm, Leo," he teased. "I have it on good authority that it works. It should render your reiatsu practically invisible. I'd even wager that, should you desire, you could open a garganta without anyone batting an eye."

I stood there silently as I examined the small piece of jewelry. "How?"

"You are a powerful spirit, Leon Vuelo," Kisuke began as he stood. "And you are very difficult to hide away. Do you remember where you stayed when we first brought you here?"

I did. "The bunker."

"It took me months to develop your gigai to be able to mask your reiatsu so completely. I had to base the insulating properties off of that of the bunker." He stood in front of me then, a light touch on my shoulder and a small upturn of lips enough to send me reeling. "I had to find a way to compact that even further into this," he pointed to the bracelet, "and develop a one-way valve that would allow you to utilize your reiatsu without others being able to sense it. It was a difficult project to undertake, but very much worthwhile."

I was rendered speechless for a moment or two. "Why would you go through the trouble?"

Before he could respond, a deep, familiar voice spoke up from our feet, "Because you've done so much for us, without seeking recognition."

I looked at the black cat with a smile that was probably too fond. "Yoruichi…"

A cloud of smoke billowed out from her small body and when it dissipated, she stood before me in proud glory. "And… You're part of our family now, y'know?" she added. "Let us do things for you."

I slipped the bangle on my wrist.

"Family, huh?"

I could get used to that.

**_VII_ **

I felt an unwelcome itch along the seam where my mask met my hierro. It had been so long since I had been out of that gigai, I almost missed the weight of it.

Eyes closed, I stretched my senses across Karakura. Blips, hollows, had kept appearing and disappearing faster than I could think to move and intercept them all day. I'd barely moved beyond a four block radius of Urahara's; more of a precaution in his absence than anything else.

I was all too aware of Jinta and Ururu's reiatsu in the house, even with most of the hollow activity finally at a standstill.

_"Look after them while I run an errand, won't you?"_

_I looked on incredulously, sword at my hip and eyes cold. "Where are you running to?"_

_Kisuke didn't even falter, "Hueco Mundo."_

_"I want to go with you-"_

_He cut me off quickly, "No."_

_I raised my hand, a sign for silence that he took a moment to act offended over. "Let me finish, you fool…" I didn't dare raise my voice, but my words were measured. "I want to go with you,_ but _I am aware that there are extenuating circumstances you are not yet ready to disclose." I tried my best to fight the hopeless edge in my voice, "Kisuke, my friend…" My fingers moved to touch his cheek in a rare display of affection I had once reserved for my fracciones. "I will stand guard here. I imagine you will be taking the Kurosaki boy and his friends with you, and someone must remain."_

_Jinta spoke up from behind me as he watched me warily from the stairs, still cautious of me outside of my gigai, "We don't need a babysitter, bird brain!"_

_Ururu was quick to silence him with a hold I recalled teaching her._ Good girl…

_"It's not that I don't agree with you, Jinta," I began solemnly. I turned to face the children. "I have full confidence you can handle yourselves against hollows below my level."_

_Ururu's face pinched in understanding. "You don't think the hollows are the threat…"_

_I shook my head. "And until we can figure out what is, I'm not leaving you or Tessai to your own devices." I faced Kisuke again. "I will be keeping watch outside."_

_The_ "I will protect them" _was left unspoken, but understood all the same._

I shook my head and flew into another sonido in an attempt to find a better vantage point, only to skid to a halt in the air.

"It can't be…"

I was sure that my head would separate from my neck with how quickly I spun, my next sonido even faster.

_A garganta._

There, above the Shoten, a rip in the sky had formed. I moved to intercept and was greeted by the flash of steel. I couldn't draw my sword fast enough, so I centered my hierro on my forearm and flexed in order to block the blow.

As far as I knew, I was the only arrancar who could do such a thing.

My new company looked dissatisfied at the fact that I still had my arm, and completely unharmed on top of that; although, my sleeve did suffer. I did not recognize this arrancar, but his piercing blue gaze held a familiar bloodlust I'd seen in many of Aizen's men.

_An Espada, then._

My eyes narrowed to slits. "Who are you and what business have you here?"

"Move, runt. I've got business with that whacked-out shopkeeper and Kurosaki," he growled, sword pressed even more firmly to my arm.

My hierro still wouldn't budge.

"Are you always such a brash fool?" I hissed. "Can you not sense that they're gone?"

He had the gall to sneer at me, but he took pause and sniffed the air.

"I'll ask you one more time, _Who are you and what business have you here_?"

"Where the hell are they?" he demanded.

"Answer me first, Espada."

He visibly flinched. "Who the fuck-?"

He moved to leap away from me, taking my sleeve with him. His eyes snapped towards the dark stain there.

"Cuatro Espada…" he spat, though it was laced with uncertainty. "But you ain't got any reiatsu!"

I ripped the remainder of my sleeve off. The loose fabric would only be a hinderance if this came down to a fight.

"Not anymore." I placed a hand on my sword. "I'm Leon Vuelo, Ex-Espada to Aizen Sousuke."

"Like I care, you bastard."

I cocked a brow. "Apologies… If this altercation came to blows, I thought you would want the courtesy of knowing the name of who struck you down." I paused. "Is that not a custom in Hueco Mundo anymore? Do forgive me, I haven't been there in years." I snapped my beak for punctuation.

The stranger let out a growl of frustration. "Grimmjow Jeagarjaques, Ex-Espada." He looked reluctant to continue, if the way he bit his lip was any indication.

"You said you came for Kisuke?"

Grimmjow scowled. "That his name?"

I threw my head back with an exasperated laugh. "You came all the way here to ask for help and you weren't even sure about the name of your prospective savior?"

"I didn't come here for pity!"

"I never said you did…"

He moved to strike me again, wild but with a destructive purpose. Rusty; he seemed out of practice, even compared to me. That, or he was very unrefined.

"Your technique has holes," I pointed out with an effortless sidestep. "Honestly, do they allow anyone to be an Espada these days?"

Another careless sweep of steel, another sway to dodge.

"I hope whoever's left over after all that Aizen business are more equipped than you are. This is just depressing," I goaded, watchful gaze trained on every twitch of muscle. "Your spirt does not power your blade, and thus your resolve in this fight is weak. I can tell you did not come here with the intention to fight." I hardened the hierro on my hand and grabbed his blade firmly. "Speak. And put away your sword."

"I dunno if I like you or hate you…"

"That seems to be the general consensus," I offered with a shrug.

I released his sword. If I hadn't known any better, I'd say he almost looked disappointed.

"Follow me."

I turned away from him only to have him grab my shoulder like a vice.

"Where the hell're you going?"

I raised a brow, pleased that this form allowed me to. I'd grown rather fond of the facial tick.

"Inside. I want coffee and food. I've been patrolling all day and am well overdue for a break," I explained. I plucked his hand from my person with little effort. "You are welcome to join me, but I warn you…"

I drew my own sword faster than he could blink, threw him to the pavement and followed as quickly as my exhausted form would allow. I pinned his shoulders with my knees, sword between his legs in a silent threat.

As most men would, he dared not move.

"If you move to harm my fracciones, I will not hesitate to cut you down."

**_VIII_ **

"Ururu, Jinta, you need to eat before you go!"

Ururu immediately spun on her heel and snagged one of the bagels from the dish I held out with a brisk "thank you" before dashing out the front door. Jinta, as per usual, ignored me and struggled to fix his shirt tails as he ran.

"You better behave today, brat!" I called after him, only to be met with some choice expletives and a slammed door.

I shook my head in disapproval and bit into Jinta's forgone bagel with a sigh. Yoruichi, all sleek black fur and grace, hopped up onto the counter and sniffed at the empty plate.

"He doesn't like me very much, it seems…"

Yoruichi offered a little chuckle. "Actually, he might like you a bit too much!"

I crinkled my nose in displeasure, an ability I'd discovered recently, and swallowed. "Explain."

"The only real parental figures he's had have been Tessai and Kisuke, y'know?" she offered vaguely. "And they're much different than you. He's just adjusting to this unforeseen shift in his life." She looked at the door the two had run out of. "Every person handles change differently. Jinta is no exception." Her gaze found mine. "All will be as it was intended with time, Leo. All you can do is be patient with the boy."

I opened my mouth to respond, only to be interrupted by some sharp beeps from the communicator Kisuke had left for emergencies. Yoruichi's head snapped to the vibrating brick on the kitchen counter before she exploded in a cloud of smoke and lunged for the device.

"Kisuke, what's wrong?" she breathed, edge of panic barely concealed.

I couldn't hold it against her. Kisuke had been gone for days now with no word, the utter lack of shinigami in Karakura Town since his departure not a promising sign as to the state of things.

She slumped against the counter in what I recognized to be relief when his chipper voice carried through the speaker, "Oh, nothing's happened! No worries, no worries-" Other voices garbled together in a wave of opposition to that statement. "Okay, not nothing. Is Leon with you?"

Yoruichi side-eyed me. I nodded.

"I'm here, Kisuke."

"Oh, good! First, I must commend you," he began, "Sending that arrancar my way was a very fortuitous decision on your part. It pulled the tide in our favor and-"

Yoruichi's impatient tone was very prominent, "Urahara Kisuke, you better say what you wanna say before I head out there and make you."

"I need your assistance… Both of you."

My eyes rolled into the back of my skull. "What has happened? There hasn't been a shinigami here in days. Hollows I've come across speak of fleeing to safety." I approached the counter and crowded against Yoruichi, the bare skin of her side warm and grounding against my hand. "Something has gone terribly wrong."

Kisuke's voice dropped an octave as he fell into the more serious demeanor I was familiar with, "Quincies. More than what should be possible."

"Wait, hold up," Yoruichi wondered aloud, voice deceptively steady when compared to her expression of pinched dread. "The people that invaded Hueco Mundo, they were quincies?"

"Indeed. I'm terribly sorry, but we're running out of time."

I sighed. "I want you to write me an essay about what has happened when all this is settled."

"Of course!" I could hear the smile in his voice. "Now, I need you both to get in touch with Hiyori-"

"Angry runt with pig tails?" Yoruichi tried for the sake of clarification.

"An apt description, yes. Her and the others are working on patching the rifts between worlds. I need you to collect the energy that escapes from those rifts," Kisuke explained. "I've a sinking suspicion that we may need it soon."

"Find this 'Hiyori', collect the energy, save the worlds from ripping asunder…" I spoke slowly, savoring the over-simplified plan with some bitter sweet familiarity that made my lip curl in some semblance of a smile. "You make it sound so easy, Kisuke…"

"With the two of you working together? I'm sure it will be."

**_IX_ **

The shop shuddered from the tremors.

They'd been coming more and more frequently; I had a sinking feeling that they were a result of whatever was happening in Soul Society, and that didn't bode well.

The news was calling then "minor, prolonged quakes" and warning about possible structural damage to some of the larger buildings in town. I had long since tuned out the noise, but Ururu was sat stiffly in front of the screen while she gnawed on her thumb.

Jinta was playing sentinel on the roof and Tessai was clanging pots together in the kitchen.

My gut rolled with worry. All any of us had heard from Kisuke and Yoruichi was radio silence. It had been days.

I stood and stretched. We were all worried, in our own way…

Ururu perked up when she caught my movement. "Where are you headed, Leo?"

"I'm going to meander and check the rifts around town. No one's checked them since the small, angry child ran off to Soul Society." My gaze slid to her fidgeting form. "You're more than welcome to join me," I offered.

She beamed at me in her subdued manner, opened her mouth and-

The world tilted. Shelves rattled. Glass shattered. My instincts screamed at me, _wrongwrongwrong!_

This was not normal.

"What the hell is that!?"

Ururu stiffened at my exclamation, but I was already moving.

She called after me, panicked, "Leon?"

"Stay with Tessai! I'll send Jinta inside!"

My body dropped like a sack of potatoes in the middle of the living room when I shrugged out of it and I winced at the ache the brash decision promised me when I returned.

It was all I could do to not throw the door off its hinges. My eyes swept the front of the shop frantically. I barely spared a sigh of relief when I saw Jinta.

He found my gaze easily and there, buried beneath his false bravado, was a cold edge of fear and confusion.

My alarm pushed for speed and, one sonido later, we stood in the relative safety of the shoten. I tucked his head under my chin and noted the quaver in his reiatsu.

"Leon," he whispered. "What's happening?"

I caught Tessai moving into my line of vision, face grave. More so than usual.

"I am… uncertain."

The air around us shuddered. I held the boy tighter, eyes zeroed in on where reality had started to ripple. A black seam split the room and cut the space into familiar panels. My hand found the hilt of Cuervo; I had not drawn the blade since I had come to the living world, but too much had happened at once for me to indulge in the luxury of hand to hand combat.

From the garganta staggered a scantly clad Yoruichi, a pieced together Kisuke hung from her shoulder, and I immediately relaxed. They were followed closely by the blue haired arrancar I'd sent after Kisuke and a female figure that roused deep emotion within me.

"Nelliel?"

She looked as elegant as the last time I'd seen her, the only visual difference being the prominent scarring that stretched from her face over her mask.

She first looked confused, then some mix of glee and shock bled over her and she threw her hands out towards me. "Leon!"

The pleasantries were cut short when another tremor shook the foundation.

I looked to Yoruichi. "What the hell is going on?"

"The Soul King is dead. The worlds are falling apart."

Jinta looked at her, fear very openly visible now. "What? Can, can we do something? Urahara?" He looked to the barely conscious man.

Kisuke managed a small smile. "We've done all we can…" he offered sadly. "It's up to Kurosaki and his friends, now."

I audibly swallowed.

**_X_ **

There was a flurry of footsteps coming down the stairs. I checked the clock only to have 17:13 blink back at me.

Almost time for baseball practice.

A head of read hair poked into the kitchen. "Hey, bird brain! Have you seen my bat?"

"Do be mindful of your things, Jinta," I sighed and paused my stirring in favor of pointing to the back door. "You left it in the living room yesterday."

He flushed a bit. "Thanks…"

"Come here," I ordered with a fond slope to my mouth as I turned to address him.

He trudged forward with a reluctant smile of his own and slumped into my side. He was taller than me now. I gave him an affectionate squeeze and released him, but he lingered, head rested atop mine.

"Do you want to eat before you go, or would you like me to put aside a bowl for you?"

"Smells good…" He peered into the pot of beef stew and gave it deep inhale. "I'll eat now."

I hip-checked him towards the dish cabinet. "Rice?"

"Please."

"Ooh? Jinta? Using _manners?_ " a familiar lilt teased. "You really have grown!"

"Leave him be, Hat Man, or no dinner," I scolded halfheartedly.

Jinta offered his bowl. He'd already filled it with rice, so I just ladled the steaming stew over top and made doubly sure that he got extra meat. He raised his eyebrows at me in surprise. I just winked and shooed him away.

"My apologies, Leon-dono!" Kisuke exclaimed with a bow for dramatic flair. "I beg of you, grant me the pleasure of partaking in your delicious food!"

I choked on a laugh, which devolved into a coughing fit. "Kisuke!" I spluttered with indignation. "You rat!"

Jinta smirked and scuttled out of the kitchen before he could get pulled into the antics.

"Such harsh words…"

"Shut up and scoot, Kisuke!" Yoruichi demanded, elbowing her way into the kitchen. "You're blocking traffic and I'm hungry!"

I smiled and pulled down another bowl for the woman while the two bickered.

Everything had been so calm since the fall of Yhwach.

"The fuck's with all the racket?"

Well, almost.

"Grimm-kun!" Kisuke whined to the blue haired arrancar. "Have you come to save me?"

Grimmjow actually looked disgusted at the notion.

"Grimmjow," I greeted with a nod. Then, "Yoruichi, do you want it thick, soupy, or half-n-half?"

She met my gaze, her face neutral while she tied Kisuke into a knot on the kitchen floor. "Thick, please."

Grimmjow's interest looked piqued. "You made food?"

I nodded. "Hungry?"

Kisuke piped up from the floor, "Yes!"

I felt the sneer scrunch up my nose with how severe it was. "You're getting served last."

Grimmjow let out a deranged cackle and moved to grab a bowl for himself; his gigai needed sustenance much like mine did.

"Gimme a big helping, Vuelo," he demanded as he plopped half a scoop of rice into his bowl.

I allowed a vindictive grin to grace my lips as I obliged, watching the hope drain from Kisuke's eyes.

Yes. Everything was as it should be.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you guys so much for reading. Comments and kudos are appreciated. They keep me going!  
> -Chris
> 
> If you want, you can go scream at me on Twitter: @Chris_Stop_It


End file.
